"A wiki is software that allows users to create, edit, and link web pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. These wiki websites are often also referred to as wikis." (Wikipedia) Wikis allow anyone to create or edit a website or webpages with little or no knowledge of hypertext markup language (html). Wikis and wiki pages can be password protected, however, to control who can edit. (WebTools4U2Use is a wiki.) Wikis allow for collaboration on projects and promote ideas.
A wiki is like a blank webpage you can write on with simple tools--text, photos, graphics, videos, links and more. Wikis store the history of page changes so you can see how a page has changed over time, and can revert to an older version if you'd like. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you might have heard the term “wiki wiki,” meaning, “quick quick,” and a wiki is a very fast way of making a Web site that allows multiple people to collaborate on, add, remove, and edit its content. The most famous wiki is the Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that was created by thousand and thousands of contributors. While there is much controversey surrounding the use of Wikipedia as a research tool, it is an excellent example of what can be done with a wiki! (See Andy Carvin's blog for an idea of how to make Wikipedia an asset!) More than a third of American adult internet users (36%) consult the citizen-generated online encyclopedia Wikipedia, according to a 2007 nationwide survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And on a typical day in the winter of 2007, 8% of online Americans consulted Wikipedia.
Why make a wiki?
Helene Blowers points out these features:
Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
Users do not need to know HTML, Web design, or have Web page experience in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. Most wikis are no more difficult than a Microsoft Word document.
How to Create a Wiki in Wikispaces
Watch this screencast by one of my ed-tech grad students! She also demonstrates Glogster -- a web 2.0 tool that you can use to kick up your wiki a notch.
Wiki Challenge: Begin Creating Your Wiki Electronic Portfolio:
You are to create a wiki for this course. Your wiki is your electronic portfolio for this course. You should embed anything you create during our time together in your wiki. Steps to do this:
give your wiki a name, such as "Your Name 629 E-Folio"
check off 'protected'
once you have done that, click on 'manage wiki', then click on "look and feel" under settings, and then 'themes and colors'. Choose your look.
Click on create a new page. Call this page "Social Networks"
Put in the link to your blog, Diigo, Scoopit, Twitter., and other social communities you became a part of since starting our course. You will continue to add to this as we explore other communities.
Create a new page and call it: Ed-Tech Samples. On this page, embed or link to any web 2.0 creations you make during this course. Embed your avatar here, along with a brief explanation of what you did.
As you move through this course, you are to upload or embed any technology creations you construct to your portfolio, along with a brief explanation of what you did.
Create an "About Me" page. On this page you will write about your educational PHILOSOPHY - you don't have to do this now; you can return to it at the end of the course. Just set up the page for now.
Last, create a link to your homepage on our Class URL page. (For your own convenience, you might want to add this link to your Diigo library and/or blog.)
Wikis in School Libraries
Wikis are being used successfully in classrooms from Kindergarten through graduate school! Here are some examples that are sure to generate some ideas for you and your teachers.
for the Library Media Center It's easy and free to create your own wiki on any topic. School library media specialists report they are using wikis to:
Create library media websites
Publish policies and procedures
Publish slideshows and photos
Publicize special events
Share meeting minutes
Collaborate with teachers to provide vetted unit-or subject-based resources
Communicate with parents
Collaborate with other library media specialists
Share ideas and resources with colleagues
Teach about wikis, Wikipedia, Creative Commons, authority, etc.
Locate information on a topic, edit, or add to existing information
Post reading questions
Post trivia questions
Publish information as a follow-up to instruction
Publish information as a follow-up to staff development
Provide a forum for students to comment on books or new titles
Post book reviews
Post assignments and collect student work
Collaborate with teachers to brainstorm units or ideas
Create webpages on temporary (or timely) topics: Teen Tech Week, Banned Book Month, homecoming events in the media center, current events, salute to graduates, etc.
Create collaborative online glossaries
Learn from colleagues
Compare and contrast Wikipedia with other information sources
Create pathfinders
Publicize resources for home use
Plan and provide an online meeting place
Link to or embed videos, slideshows, trailers, websites for books and authors
Set up class projects
Provide guidelines and rubrics
Serve as an electronic handout for classes and workshops (no repeating those dreaded long URLs)
Provide professional development
Promote and provide online book clubs
Enhance class discussions
Provide annotated lists, links, resources
Provide a "launch pad" for student work on a topic; link to each student's project or report
Make student work public
Provide an interactive library media calendar for the school community
Provide a vehicle for an online professional portfolio
Collaborate on an article or manual
Collaboratively plan a conference or event
Create a staff intranet
Create a page of frequently ordered items with details and links to online catalogs
Launch surveys and opinion polls
Provide a page of frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Launch slideshows and presentations from classes, students, teachers
Create pages for parents
Publish annual report of activities for the library media center
Teach students about wikis, web publishing, page design, etc.
Create templates for projects and reports - individual and/or group
PikiWiki Free wiki space with drag and drop interface for some computers and some browsers. They offer 10 great ideas for using a wiki--specifically, of course, PikiWiki, but they apply to almost any wiki.
* Remember: You can add "tags" or keywords to your wikis. That will help you organize, sort and find information. You can use the tags to generate a "tag cloud," too! (See the tags and tag cloud for this wiki in the left hand column.)
WikiMatrix A tool to explore the features of the many wikis available and get help in using wikis, too. A wizard is also available to help you choose the best wiki for you to use.
What is a wiki?
"A wiki is software that allows users to create, edit, and link web pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. These wiki websites are often also referred to as wikis." (Wikipedia) Wikis allow anyone to create or edit a website or webpages with little or no knowledge of hypertext markup language (html). Wikis and wiki pages can be password protected, however, to control who can edit. (WebTools4U2Use is a wiki.) Wikis allow for collaboration on projects and promote ideas.
A wiki is like a blank webpage you can write on with simple tools--text, photos, graphics, videos, links and more. Wikis store the history of page changes so you can see how a page has changed over time, and can revert to an older version if you'd like. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you might have heard the term “wiki wiki,” meaning, “quick quick,” and a wiki is a very fast way of making a Web site that allows multiple people to collaborate on, add, remove, and edit its content. The most famous wiki is the Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that was created by thousand and thousands of contributors. While there is much controversey surrounding the use of Wikipedia as a research tool, it is an excellent example of what can be done with a wiki! (See Andy Carvin's blog for an idea of how to make Wikipedia an asset!) More than a third of American adult internet users (36%) consult the citizen-generated online encyclopedia Wikipedia, according to a 2007 nationwide survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And on a typical day in the winter of 2007, 8% of online Americans consulted Wikipedia.
Why make a wiki?
Helene Blowers points out these features:How to Create a Wiki in Wikispaces
Watch this screencast by one of my ed-tech grad students! She also demonstrates Glogster -- a web 2.0 tool that you can use to kick up your wiki a notch.Wiki Challenge: Begin Creating Your Wiki Electronic Portfolio:
You are to create a wiki for this course. Your wiki is your electronic portfolio for this course. You should embed anything you create during our time together in your wiki. Steps to do this:Wikis in School Libraries
Wikis are being used successfully in classrooms from Kindergarten through graduate school! Here are some examples that are sure to generate some ideas for you and your teachers.Wikis are also being used to create textbooks and books including some specificially for young people, for those who may benefit texts in simplified English, and for those who may need textbooks in other languages. There is a compendium of quotations at Wikiquote, a Wiktionary (free multi-language dictionary and thesaurus), Wikiversity with thousands of learning resources, and even WikiNews--news you can not only read, but edit and write!
Creating Wikis
for the Library Media CenterIt's easy and free to create your own wiki on any topic. School library media specialists report they are using wikis to:
Wiki Tools
- Wikispaces for Teachers (my favorite). Offers free ad-free wikis for K-12 educators, embeddable easy -to-use widgets, frequently asked questions (and answers) from teachers, five quick tours of WikiSpaces, and more.
- PB Wiki For Education PBWiki(also known as Peanut Butter Wiki) (Ad-free for educators). PBWiki also offers library templates, great wiki etiquette tips for students (and teachers and library media specialists), how-to'shandouts and presentation ideas, screencasts and more. for educators,
- SeedWiki Another ad-free wiki site with a special classroom section.
- PikiWiki Free wiki space with drag and drop interface for some computers and some browsers. They offer 10 great ideas for using a wiki--specifically, of course, PikiWiki, but they apply to almost any wiki.
- MediaWiki
- Wikia
- Tiddlywiki
- Wet Paint Free wikis with a special section for educators and ad-free wikis, too.
*Remember: You can add "tags" or keywords to your wikis. That will help you organize, sort and find information. You can use the tags to generate a "tag cloud," too! (See the tags and tag cloud for this wiki in the left hand column.)
WikiMatrix A tool to explore the features of the many wikis available and get help in using wikis, too. A wizard is also available to help you choose the best wiki for you to use.
ags a